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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · cap · charge · field · leaves · rest · bound · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — a price
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — in control
  6. cap — a hat
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. field — farmland
  9. bound — certain
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chip — to eat
  15. field — a subject
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. field — for sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chip — for betting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com